Video footage (below) of a substitute teacher reportedly hitting sixth-graders with a belt to break up a fight has gone viral.

The teacher, a substitute at Gwynn Park Middle School in Prince George's County, Maryland, has been removed from classroom since the incident occurred in May, ABC 7 reported at the time.

The video begins with the teacher already standing next to a fight that broke out between at least three students. The teacher steps in at the beginning of the video and cracks down on the children with a belt, causing other students in the classroom to run away, screaming.

The circumstances behind the fight and the teacher’s reaction are unknown.

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Since being uploaded to LiveLeak, the video has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times, angering parents and gaining support from others.

The substitute teacher was fired from the school district, who called his behavior “improper.”

“Prince George’s County Public Schools does not condone this type of behavior and it is not representative of the level of professionalism and respectful conduct of the team at the school,” the school district wrote in a statement.